Ricardo Rodriguez

The younger of the two racing Rodriguez brothers, Ricardo gave up bike racing at the age of 14, having won the Mexican championship, to race an Opel sedan. By 1957 he was already competing abroad, taking a class win in the Nassau Tourist Trophy with a Porsche Spyder.

The brothers Rodriguez came to Europe in 1960 with a NART Ferrari, though it was with André Pilette that Ricardo gained his best result, a second at Le Mans in a 250GT. Teamed with Pedro, he took third in the Sebring 12 Hours and second in the Nürburgring 1000 Km.

Invited by the Scuderia to join their Grand Prix line-up for the Italian GP, he sensationally put the car on the front row of the grid alongside the ill-fated championship favourite, von Trips. Not surprisingly he was signed by the team for a full season in 1962, but the car was far from the dominant machine of just a year earlier and young Ricardo, still a little wild and fearless, was used selectively. In a bright start, the Mexican took second place at the Pau GP, before confirming his outstanding potential in a number of World Championship rounds. In sports car racing he was out of luck, except for a win in the Targa Florio sharing a Ferrari 246 V6 with Gendebien and Mairesse.

When Ferrari decided not to enter their cars for the non-championship Mexican GP, Ricardo arranged to race one of Rob Walker’s Lotus-Climax V8s. Striving for pole position, the young charger came unstuck, crashing on the banking and dying from multiple injuries.